Judging by the content of this post, a free cup of coffee, car wash and a chance to look at the newer cars in the show room, all for the bargain price of ?300!

Barry

 

haha

The car runs like a new one, and it's beeing checked every 10-14 days when I hand wash it...

Vehicle Check sounds like a reset in the odo-meter menu then

 

I checked in my service book for my 520d today whats required in the oil service.

Basically, change oil, filter, and check handrake operation. Thats it.

The 'main service' is not much better for approx 43k miles. Every item on the list is stuff you could do yourself. Checking levels, security of seatbelts, wipers and the like.

The biggest ripoff is idrive itself. In my last car, a renault, I know that it did 60k miles on the same brake pads on the same journey, only 70% worn. Idrive is telling me that i need new backs in 11k and new fronts in 18k (backs wearing before front?) and ive done 34k now. Not is that a little premature, but ive reset idrive brake pad wear myself 2 times from that level of warning, without pad replacment, and there is at least 50% left. I think that idrive is a revenue generator!

take a look in your service book - its suprisingly little that they do on many occasions

if you want anything done by an independent garage, or want to reset an early pad warning, look here :

http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=...mp;#entry193584

 

I think the iDrive is correct about the service requirements..
It said 0 km's left when I changed the front brake pads incl. the rotors, and they had max 5000 km's left. My mechanical friend told me that it was about time to get the pads changed, since they was worn out (just as the iDrive CBS system told me).

This was at 117.000 km's (73.000 miles).

I used the link you posted, to reset the "brakepad service due message". Then the iDrive said 40.000 km's to go, and now after 2000 km's it's saying 45.000 km's. So it works just fine.

The engine oil service is just oil and filter here (some times even the diesel filter). I'll still let my dealer do the oil changes (for warranty, even though it has expired), and do the brakes (rear pads soon, and micro filter) myself.

 

I can only report what ive seen and done. The pads are only 40-50% worn at most. I have physically inspected the pads. My drive each day hardly uses any braking and i dont thrash the car as i have to pay for it! What defies the laws of physics is that the car always thinks the back pads are wearing first, which isnt the case for any other car ive known. If perhaps the DSC is coming on a lot, which its not, i could image that might cause more wear.

So, on a light constant speed journey, im predicted to need pads all round by 45k. Unless this is a bit like progress bars in windows. Nips along to 95% progress, then sits there forever. Perhaps im gonna need new pads in 4k miles for a long while......

Still looks like an excellent way to make money. Bear in mind in the UK we dont get service included - the idrive is therefore a nice revenue generator. This is my case, distances from needing :

3k - inspection service - all stuff that could be done by the owner - nothing meaningful is listed in the car manual for first inspection
9k - oil and filter change (why not at the inspection service?)
11k - rear pads and pollution filter
13k - front pads.

And the Idrive isnt a money maker? I think i may need to move to be nearer the dealer.

 

Can confirm ?200 is about the "going rate"...sounds alot for some oil, but my wifes Ford S Max Tdi cost ?180 for same service which I thought was outright robbery!

 

Mine is booked in at Sytners Solihull on Friday - ~?200 for an oil change was the quote I got.

It may be cheaper to source your own oil like Opie etc - I would have done it, but suffering from a case of cba with this car right now. And I didnt want to distract the dealers attention from getting the other minor problems sorted.

 

oil service and engine flush ?136.54

 

?68.95






but I did supply my own long Life 04 oil sourced at ?6.25 rather than the dealer's at 2+ times that price.